Career Center students reach out to underprivileged childrenOld Saint Nick makes an impressive show during the holiday, but even Santa can use a little help now and then. Enter Santa’s Cadets. Second-year students in the Arkansas Tech University Career Center’s criminal justice program decided to make the holidays a little brighter for four underprivileged elementary students. Teacher John Harris said he tasked his students earlier in the year to come up with a community project, and they decided to co...

Tackling an invisible problem(Editor’s note: This is the third installment in an ongoing series examining poverty in the Arkansas River Valley.) Living life mingled amongst other residents, heading to work and taking care of their children, is a group of people some might not expect to find in the Arkansas River Valley — the homeless. “People say they don’t see the homeless — the problem is, they look just like you and me,” Fred Teague of the Russ Bus said, adding there a...

News Briefs (Dec. 15, 2013)Russellville High School Christmas Concert The Russellville High School Bands’ annual Christmas Concert will be performed at 7 p.m. Monday at Russellville’s Center for the Arts. The Symphonic Band and the Concert Band will be performing traditional Christmas songs. There is no admission charge, and the public is invited to attend. Christmas Choir and Band Concert OLA — The Two Rivers High School Christmas Choir and Band Concert will begin at 6...

Man wants city to pay for new septic systemA Russellville man claims the city owes him a new septic system. In 2012, during construction of a drainage alleviation project on Randal Circle, contractors cut through the lateral lines of Brian Young's septic system. "The system worked perfectly before it was damaged by the city," Young told aldermen at Thursday's City Council meeting. After the damaged occurred, Young said the contractor told him he would inform the city, and the city woul...

Russellville, Clarksville vie for veterans home siteTwo area cities have put in bids to be considered as the site for development of a veterans home. A state task force is searching for a new site to construct a facility to replace one in Little Rock that state officials closed because of deteriorating conditions. The new development is expected to cost $20 million and create 200 medical and support staff positions. Earlier this year, Russellville was selected as one of four finalists for a sit...

Children's home to open in MorelandMORELAND — The Encouraging Word Church in Dover is converting the former Moreland Assembly of God Church to a children's home. Encouraging Word's Children Home's vision is to "provide a Christian home for children who, for whatever reason, are not permitted to live with their parents in a normal family setting," according to its mission statement. Ronnie Caldwell, Encouraging Word's associate pastor, is leading the charge to get the home opera...

Tech student receives surprise scholarshipA friendship formed between a group of Arkansas Tech University students more than 50 years ago is once again benefiting a Tech student of today. For the second consecutive year, the group of Tech alumnae known as the “Caraway Hall Third Floor Girls” has presented a surprise scholarship in honor of one of their own. Lou Nell McCraw Davis and Carolyn Leek Allen represented the Caraway Hall Third Floor Girls in the presentation of a $900 scholar...

News Briefs (Dec. 12, 2013)‘Feast of Carols’ rescheduled for Sunday The Arkansas Tech University Choirs will present the 12th annual “Feast of Carols” at 1:30 p.m. Sunday at the First United Methodist Church 304 South Commerce in Russellville. The concert will include the University Men under the direction of Jon Clements, the University Women under the direction of Holly Ruth Gale and the Concert Chorale and Chamber Choir under the direction of Director of Choral Studi...

Dover Schools continue limited bus routesDover Schools will have school Thursday with limited bus routes. The following bus routes will not run Thursday: • Bus No. 1 — Boyd Road, Rebecca Lane, and Sara Paige. Those who would like to ride the bus may meet the bus at Broomfield Road. • Bus No. 7 — Long Pool Road and the bus will go to the bottom of Silex Mountain. Riders may meet the bus there or at Hwy 64. • Bus No. 5 — (Special Needs) will not go to Boyd Road or Warnick Lane. Those w...

Wedding benefits Christmas Angels programCLARKSVILLE —When Clint Sprick and Fallon Kersey began planning their October 2013 wedding, they quickly realized how blessed they were and began looking for a way to use their nuptials to give back to their community. The Clarksville couple and alumni of University of the Ozarks decided to ask their wedding guests to bring a new toy to their October 11 wedding. The toys were then donated to Christmas Angels, a program that was started in 1992...

City to address rundown houseA Russellville property owner has been given a deadline to tear down a dilapidated structure. The Russellville City Council first approved a resolution in June declaring a dilapidated structure at 709 E. Parkway Drive and calling for its removal or rehabilitation. While there are two main structures on the property, the only one deemed dilapidated is the house with yellow siding. Passersby may also have noticed graffiti on the property. Code E...

Yell County receives Emergency Food and National Board Program fundsDARDANELLE — The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and Department of Homeland Security awarded Yell County $6, 238 in federal funds under the Emergency Food and National Board Program. FEMA chairs the national board — consisting of representatives from The Salvation Army, American Red Cross, Council of Jewish Federations, Catholic Charities USA and United Way of America — that distributes funds appropriated by Congress to help expand ...

News Briefs (Dec. 11, 2013)VFW to host kids Christmas party VFW Rogers Rye Post 2283 and Ladies Auxiliary will host a kids Christmas party at 1 p.m. Sunday. Refreshments will be served and Santa will be there. Craft Fair scheduled Thursday and Friday A craft fair will be conducted from 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Thursday and Friday at the Pope County Senior Activity and Wellness Center. Knitted and crocheted items will be available. Proceeds will buy yarn for baby hats to go t...

Storm cleanup continuesMany schools remained closed Monday and community activities were canceled, though local government offices were open. Wintry weather that moved through the state Thursday and Friday left snow and ice across the Arkansas River Valley, making road travel hazardous through the weekend. Road conditions continued to improve, and Russellville Public Works Operations Manager Junior Marple reported all city streets were open by the end of the day Mon...

News Briefs (Dec. 10, 2013)‘An Evening with Tim Ernst’ at ATU on Thursday Arkansas Tech University will host a presentation of nature photography during “An Evening with Tim Ernst” at the Doc Bryan Student Services Center Lecture Hall on Thursday. The program will begin at 7 p.m. Admission will be free and open to the public. A book signing and reception with refreshments will follow the presentation. Ernst will present a program entitled “Buffalo River Beauty.” The eve...

Locals to compete at 2014 USA GamesLocal athletes will compete in the 2014 Special Olympics USA Games at Princeton University in New Jersey. The USA Games will feature nearly 3,500 athletes from across the U.S. competing in 14 Olympic-type sports, Darla Jones, Area 17 Special Olympics director, said. Area 17 includes Pope, Perry, Conway, Faulkner and Van Buren counties. “Area 17 Special Olympics is very proud of all of our athletes and coaches who work year round helping make t...

Plainview house nominated for National RegistryThe State Review Board of the Arkansas Historic Preservation Program (AHPP) nominated a Yell County house and five other properties to the National Register of Historic Places at its regular meeting Wednesday. The National Register of Historic Places is the country’s official list of historically significant sites worthy of preservation. The AHPP will find out in six to eight weeks if the National Park Service adds the Evans-Neuhart House at P...

London man makes his life wheelchair accessible Though his retirement may not look like he originally envisioned, Don Bragdon is determined to get the most out of it. In 1995, just three years after he retired, Bragdon suffered an aneurysm. Although doctors at one point gave him just a 5 percent chance of surviving, he beat the odds and lived – although he no longer had use of his legs and was confined to a wheelchair. When he first arrived back home after his ordeal, Bragdon admitted to fe...

Medical assistance on the riseEditor’s note: This is the second in a series of articles examining poverty in the Arkansas River Valley. Poverty across the country, including in the Arkansas River Valley, has been on the rise in recent years, and with it brings an increased need for help with medical expenses. The need in Arkansas was so great five years ago, the state began a free prescription assistance program, the Arkansas Drug Card. “The Arkansas Drug Card was launched...